Objective: High negative affect, low positive affect, and low cognitive functioning are depression-related states that may be particularly relevant to females who smoke cigarettes and may be more prominent following overnight tobacco abstinence. This study aimed to assess relations between depression symptom levels and negative affect, positive affect, and subjective cognitive functioning in premenopausal females who smoke. Methods: Premenopausal females who smoke daily with low (n = 66) or elevated (n = 33) baseline depression symptoms completed subjective ratings of negative affect, positive affect, and cognitive functioning pre-first cigarette (i.e., after overnight tobacco abstinence) and at random prompts throughout the day via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) for 35 days. Results: Participants with elevated depression symptoms reported overall higher negative affect ( p = .01). Positive affect was significantly lower prior to the first cigarette of the day ( p < .001), but did not significantly differ between depression symptom groups. Subjective cognitive functioning was significantly lower pre-first cigarette of the day ( p < .001). There was a significant Depression Symptom × Prompt Type interaction for subjective cognitive functioning ( p = .01). Subjective cognitive functioning did not significantly differ by depression symptom group pre-first cigarette of the day but was significantly different at random prompts throughout the day. Conclusions: As participants smoked as usual, findings identify naturalistic factors which may influence smoking behavior among premenopausal females who smoke with elevated depression symptoms.
Public Health Significance StatementBy showing that depression symptoms relate to affect and subjective cognitive functioning during naturalistic smoking among females who smoke daily, this study highlights potential factors that may help guide smoking cessation induction strategies for females with elevated depression symptoms.
Background: Cigarette smoking urges, withdrawal, and smoking reinstatement may be especially relevant to people with elevated depression symptoms who smoke. This laboratory study aimed to assess relations between depression symptom level and smoking urges for reward and relief, cigarette withdrawal, and smoking reinstatement in people who smoke cigarettes daily during acute abstinence and while smoking as usual. Methods: Participants with low (n=51) or elevated (n=29) baseline depression symptoms underwent two counterbalanced laboratory sessions (i.e., abstinent, non-abstinent). At each session, they completed subjective measures of smoking urges for reward and relief, and withdrawal. They also completed a laboratory smoking reinstatement task measuring whether they would delay smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked. Results: The elevated depression symptom group reported significantly higher withdrawal (p=.01) and smoked more cigarettes than the low depression symptoms group during the smoking reinstatement task self-administration period at the abstinent session (p=.04).Smoking urges for reward and relief were not significantly different by depression symptom group. There were no significant interactions of depression and abstinence with any outcomes.
Conclusions:As outcomes were measured at both an abstinent and non-abstinent session, findings identify factors for people with elevated depression symptoms who smoke which may drive smoking behavior and impede smoking cessation efforts. This study provides evidence that people with elevated depression symptoms who smoke may need additional/more 3 DEPRESSION, SMOKING, LAB STUDY pharmacological or behavioral smoking cessation aids targeted at reducing withdrawal and number of cigarettes smoked.
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